Use VisualBasic to create macros and add additional functionality to Excel

The Excel Web App will let you access your spreadsheets from anywhere

Comprehensive ribbon toolbar with the most commonly-used features

Easily filter data so you're not distracted by data you don't need to see

Where It Excels

Excel is certainly the most feature-filled spreadsheet program out there, and fits the bill both for casual and experienced users alike. You can do everything from simple data organization to complex calculations, graphs, and script macros that perform repetitive tasks for you. The ribbon toolbar makes it easy for anyone to jump in and start using Excel, and it's graphs are pretty good looking to boot. And, while we hate for it to be a factor, Excel is by far the de facto standard for spreadsheet creation, which means if you want compatibility with XLS and XLSX files, you'll want the real deal instead of a clone.

Where It Falls Short

Excel can feel overwhelming once you start to delve into its advanced features, since there are so darn many of them. But, if you're just using its basic functionality, it's still pretty easy to use. Also, it's far from cheap at $120 for a single license, but it's a necessary evil—and if you're a student (or have access to student discounts), you can usually find some better deals.

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The Competition

Calc, LibreOffice's answer to Excel, is more than good enough if all you need is a basic spreadsheet. When it comes to more advanced features, however, Excel does it better, and has more of them. It's also a good deal faster than LibreOffice, and unfortunately, LibreOffice still has some issues in the compatibility department. If you use Excel at work or anywhere else, you pretty much need to use it at home too—compatibility between the two isn't as good as their word processor offerings. For a bigger explanation of the differences between Microsoft Office and LibreOffice, check out our comparison.

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Google Docs is your other big choice for spreadsheet creation, and while it may feel weird to do it in a webapp, it's probably your best choice for simple spreadsheets, if only because it's the fastest free option out there. LibreOffice is a bit slow, but definitely more feature-filled—so depending on the project, you'll have to make a choice between the two if you aren't splurging for the Microsoft Office suite. Google Docs is simplistic, but still has some nice features like chart creation, support for equations, and other basic things you've come to expect from spreadsheet applications.

There aren't a ton of other spreadsheet apps out there for Windows, but if you have a favorite we didn't mention, be sure to let us know about it in the comments below.

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